Once again I looked out over the congregation to see people (not all, but quite a few) just sitting there, staring off into the void. Normally, that would be expected if people were listening to a speaker, perhaps pondering the word so deeply that they only look as if they were staring off into space. But, the music is playing, the conductor is waving her arm; people should have their hymnbooks open and their mouths moving.

Dallin H. Oaks said it better than I ever could:

“My heart swelled as we sang this worshipful hymn and contemplated renewing our covenants by partaking of the sacrament. Our voices raised the concluding strains:

For Jesus died on Calvary,
That all thru him might ransomed be.
Then sing hosannas to his name;
Let heav’n and earth his love proclaim.

“As we sang these words, I glanced around at members of the congregation and was stunned to observe that about a third of them were not singing. How could this be? Were those who did not even mouth the words suggesting that for them it was not “sweet to sing the matchless love” or to “sing hosannas to his name”? What are we saying, what are we thinking, when we fail to join in singing in our worship services?

“I believe some of us in North America are getting neglectful in our worship, including the singing of hymns. I have observed that the Saints elsewhere are more diligent in doing this. We in the center stakes of Zion should renew our fervent participation in the singing of our hymns.”